The estate of legendary comedian George Carlin has filed a lawsuit against Dudesy, a podcast outlet, and its hosts, Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, for creating and distributing a fake hourlong comedy special that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to mimic Carlin's style and material. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, demands that the podcast outlet immediately remove the audio special titled "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead." Carlin's daughter, Kelly Carlin, issued a statement condemning the work as a "poorly-executed facsimile" created by individuals seeking to profit from her father's fanbase. The lawsuit alleges violations of Carlin's right of publicity and copyright, as the defendants did not have permission or a license to use Carlin's likeness or copyrighted materials.

The controversy arose when the special was posted on YouTube on January 9th. In the beginning of the video, an AI engine introduced itself, claiming to have listened to Carlin's 50 years of material and imitated his voice, cadence, attitude, and subject matter. However, some listeners expressed doubts about the authenticity of the AI-generated content. The plaintiffs argue that if the special was indeed created using AI, it constitutes a violation of Carlin's copyright.

The lawsuit marks one of the first legal actions taken against the use of AI to recreate celebrity images and likenesses. The issue of AI in creative works was also a major point of contention during last year's Hollywood writers and actors strikes. Attorney Josh Schiller, representing the Carlin estate, stated that the case is not solely about AI but also about the individuals who use AI to infringe on intellectual property rights and violate the law.

Kelly Carlin took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express her opposition to the AI-generated special. She emphasized that her father's genius cannot be replicated by a machine and urged listeners to appreciate his genuine work. She suggested supporting living human comedians instead. Carlin's estate filed the lawsuit to protect the artist's work from being exploited and to preserve his legacy.

The video in question does not feature a visual representation of Carlin but instead showcases AI-generated images. The voice, however, closely resembles Carlin's and covers familiar topics such as religion, politics, and the comedian's own death. The Carlin estate argues that the AI-generated special is not a creative work but rather a piece of computer-generated clickbait that diminishes the value of Carlin's comedic works and damages his reputation.

Dudesy, the podcast outlet responsible for the special, is run by comedian Will Sasso and writer Chad Kultgen. The lawsuit also names several unnamed individuals involved in the creation of the video and development of the AI technology. NBC News reached out to Dudesy for comment, but they have not responded. Sasso commented in a podcast episode that the AI version of Carlin cannot replace the real thing, and Kultgen discussed why this particular video caused more controversy compared to other AI versions of Carlin.

The lawsuit against Dudesy and its hosts highlights the ongoing debate surrounding AI in creative works and the potential risks it poses to intellectual property rights and artistic expression. The Carlin estate aims to protect the legacy of George Carlin and prevent the unauthorized use of his likeness and copyrighted materials.